Introducing Kintsugi Connect: our new platform to scale access to mental health care

Thanksgiving is here once again. For many of us, it’s a beautiful and cherished time to celebrate together with our loved ones and focus on the things we are grateful for. 

But Thanksgiving can also be a painful time for those of us who are grieving, feeling lonely, struggling with illness, or feeling the strain financially.

In fact, more than a third of Americans experience heightened stress during the holidays, which can trigger or exacerbate mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

At Kintsugi, we recognize that Thanksgiving and the build up to the holiday season can be a difficult time of year, and understand that many may find it especially challenging to ask for help during this period. That’s why we’ve chosen today to announce the soft launch of our new mental health platform, Kintsugi Connect. Our vision is to expand upon this platform to seamlessly connect everyone in need to quality mental health care — no matter what level of support they require, no matter what time of year. 

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Bridging gaps in mental health care

Around 1 in 5 Americans are currently experiencing mental illness, but less than half receive treatment. Why? 

• Many people struggle to put into words that they are suffering due to stigma, fear of repercussions, or simply believing that what they’re going through is “normal”. 

• There’s a disconnect between our primary care systems and behavioral health systems, meaning that people may not be aware of what kind of support is out there.

• Affordability, a lack of clarity around insurance coverage, and long wait times may leave available services out of reach to many.

We’re launching Kintsugi Connect to overcome these barriers to care, and ensure that mental health support is easily and readily accessible to anyone who needs it. With a few simple clicks, individuals can peruse curated behavioral health recommendations based on their needs and make appointments, all from the comfort of their own home or wherever they might be.

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How does Kintsugi Connect work?

To access the Kintsugi Connect platform, individuals simply visit the site. If they would like, they can provide a voice sample which can be screened for mental health conditions like depression and anxiety using our AI-powered voice analysis technology: Kintsugi Voice. From less than a minute of a person’s speech, Kintsugi Voice objectively quantifies their mental health challenges. (Curious to learn how our technology works? Discover more here.)

Kintsugi Connect makes personalized care recommendations based on each individual’s mental wellness score and their insurance plan. From here, individuals can browse a curated list of available providers, including counselors, therapists, psychiatrists, and wellness apps. 

They can further personalize their own mental health recommendations by filtering by specific topics of concern (for example, “substance abuse”, “weight management”, or “postpartum support”). 

Finally, Kintsugi Connect lets patients check providers’ ratings and availability, schedule appointments, and set reminders with just a few clicks.

Our platform is designed to make it as seamless as possible for people to identify and connect with mental health care providers best suited to their needs on their own time. Since the platform provides personalized insights into depression/anxiety severity, individuals are matched with the right level of care in their moment of need.

For example, if the platform detects signs of severe depression, it will prioritize support from clinical psychiatrists. On the other hand, individuals with lower signs of depression may be directed towards preventative care solutions, such as mindfulness apps. 

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By the same token, providers that partner with Kintsugi Connect gain additional visibility and the opportunity to connect with more patients who could benefit the most from their services. We’re proud to be starting to build a marketplace of reputable care providers, including a few we’d like to highlight below that are already Kintsugi Connect partners:

• Beam Health - An AI-enhanced telehealth platform, many of Beam Health’s providers are behavioral health specialists, including therapists, clinical psychiatrists, wellness and AA groups. Discover more about our partnership here.

• Thrivelab - A telehealth platform for men and women, Thrivelab offers holistic solutions for balanced living with personalized bioidentical hormone and testosterone replacement therapy programs. Hormone imbalances can often be the cause of symptoms like anxiety, depression, stress and more. Thrivelab is centered on finding the root cause to relieve symptoms of hormone imbalances that may be causing these mental health challenges.

• Meru Health - A 12-week virtual mental health program that provides continuous therapist support, and a personalized, holistic care plan. After completing their program, 59% of patients are in remission from symptoms of depression and anxiety. Meru is already covered by several health plans.

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Scaling mental health care access from three different angles

We’re committed to leveraging AI and the power of voice to close gaps in mental health care. Kintsugi Connect is just one part of our mission to do so. Our other solutions include:

• Kintsugi Voice - Our flagship AI-powered solution that embeds into existing call centers, telehealth platforms, and patient monitoring apps to quickly detect signs and severity of depression and anxiety from novel biomarkers in speech.

• Kintsugi App - Our award winning voice journaling app, which lets users track their emotional progress and improve their mental wellness with cognitive behavioral therapy exercises and community support.

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Mental Health Advocates

Kintsugi Connect wouldn’t be a community without our mental health advocates! Our team is thrilled to create easier pathways to care and with your input, together, we can streamline access to care for those most in need. Email feedback to support@kintsugihealth.com and we’ll be happy to share a monetary Thanksgiving donation to the charity of your choice. 

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From all of us at Kintsugi, we wish you a warm Thanksgiving.

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